


Stargazing

by Tolstoyevsky



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016), Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adopted Viktor Nikiforov, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Stranger Things Fusion, Alternate Universe – 20th Century, Astronaut Katsuki Yuuri, Dad Yakov Feltsman, First Time, Fluff, Living Together, M/M, Shooting Star Viktor Nikiforov, YOI Space Week, YOIstargazers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 02:51:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13801836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tolstoyevsky/pseuds/Tolstoyevsky
Summary: Inspired byYOI Space Week. My two favorite things, combined into one <3 Chapter titles are from"Stargazing – Orchestral Version"by Kygo ft. Justin Jesso and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.Chapter1:And I Will Still Be Here. (G). || In 1920, Russian-American astronomer Yakov Feltsman records a new celestial object and names it after his son, Viktor. From the depths of space, the newly-discovered nebula observes the being that finds it.Chapters2– 4:Stargazing. (M). || Yuuri works in stellar cartography aboard the orbital ring that circles the Earth. Viktor is the spirit of a shooting star.Next story: Coffeeshop AU with a Stranger Things twist~





	1. And I Will Still Be Here

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely love this idea for a fandom week and am so excited =♡=
> 
> The prompt for today is: _"nebulae - vague, conceptual, dreamlike. full of potential and what might be, swirling with the hopes and dreams of stars yet to be born."_

_The **Lilac Nebula** (also known as **NGC 2512** and **Viktor’s Nebula** ) is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion. It is approximately 1500 light years from Earth and is estimated to be 16 light years across. Russian-American astronomer Yakov Feltsman first recorded the nebula in 1920. Named for its star-forming molecular clouds, which resemble a lilac flower, it is one of the most recognizable nebulas in the galaxy. The Lilac Nebula is also unofficially known as Viktor’s Nebula, after Feltsman’s adopted son._

– from _The Updated Handbook of Nebulae: A Practical Guide_

-

You wake with a shiver. 

In the clouds of gas and dust where you are born, it is very cold. 

_The temperature inside a stellar nursery is about 10 to 20 degrees Kelvin_ , says the being that finds you. Lecturing to his students at the university, he explains that no life can form at this temperature. It is colder than the winters in both the country where he lives and the one he longs to return to. But he is wrong; you want to reach out to him, the way he has to you, and tell him that life can thrive in the harshest conditions. You are the proof.

-

_Inside an interstellar cloud, gases become molecular._

The being mentions many concepts that are unfamiliar to you. “Winter,” you learn, is when the axis of the being’s planet is tilted away from its star. That is easy enough for you to grasp. But there are finer points, ones you suspect you will never fully understand without joining the being’s community, a temporal impossibility. For example, most of his students are “he,” but others are “she.” The distinction appears minimal to you. But in your mutual observation of each other, you are beginning to understand one another.

-

_Carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the most common molecules, cluster to high densities of around 104 solar masses._

There is also the matter of names. When the being first finds you, he already has many: Yakov Feltsman, Professor, Dr. Feltsman, Papa. When you are first found, you have none. It is the being who scribbles you into existence: _NGC 2512_ , written on a piece of scrap paper. It still sits on his desk, beside the telescope he used to look at you for the first time. 

When the discovery of your existence is first made public, you garner a new name: the Lilac Nebula. On the being’s planet, there is a flower – a tiny being, which absorbs the light energy of a star – that looks like you. It is a fragile, beautiful thing. You already know that you are not fragile, but you learn from the being’s comparison that you are beautiful. Like the four petals of a lilac, you are bright purple. _As if someone took a photograph and superimposed it over the heavens_ , the being exclaims to his colleagues. And you realize that through your name, the universe is reflecting itself, over and over again. 

But the name you like best is neither of these. It is the one that the being uses in private, with his son. The son is also a “he,” and his name is Viktor. He is the only one who calls the being Papa. You understand that a “son” is a kind of offspring, but Viktor is not directly related to the being. He used to be someone else’s child, just as the being was once the son of a different country, one that no longer has use for men who gaze at the stars. But the being took Viktor in, and a new country accepted them both. And while Viktor does not look like the being, he has the same curious spirit. You learn that this, too, can define the bond between parent and child. 

Late at night, the being and his son sit on the back porch of their dwelling, looking up at the sky. 

_Look, Vitya. Do you see that bright light? That’s Viktor’s Nebula. I named it for you._

-

_Eventually, the dense cloud core collapses under its own gravity, fragmenting into clumps that are 0.1 parsecs in size and weigh 10 to 50 solar masses. These become protostars._

It takes 10 million years for a star to be born – an infinite string of moments, each blurring into the next, with no boundary between them. 

Your life is changed in just one.


	2. Stargazing (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt for day two is _stars - burning bright, beautiful, and bold. they are young, they are carefree, they burn and light up the night and bring warmth and life._  
> 

For all his travels across the solar system, Viktor knew he couldn’t have seen everything yet. He had been on his regular orbit around the sun when he got bored – as usual– and decided to veer off course. There was a planet he’d heard of, Earth, that had become a gathering place for meteorites. Though he was only the spirit of a comet, Viktor thought he might find someone to keep him company there. His orbit didn’t usually cross over with those of other comets; it was lonely, journeying around the same star, year after year. 

While approaching the planet, a small piece of him broke off, forming a meteor. Viktor put all his energy into it, transferring his consciousness to the smaller rock. When he looked back at the rest of the comet, it seemed an empty shell. Years would pass before it reached the Earth again; Viktor had better make the most of his new life. 

What he didn’t expect to see as he drifted into Earth’s orbit was the steel structure circling the planet. Who lived there? Viktor swerved toward it, the long tail of his meteor leaving a trail of dust in his wake. He approached, crashing into the steel– 

–

Yuuri had been sitting at his desk, trying to enjoy what he thought would be a normal day at work. 

He had been looking up at the stars for as long as he could remember; when he was offered a post in stellar cartography at the International Orbital Ring, he couldn’t turn it down. The trouble was, space was frightening – even if the station was only a hundred miles above the surface of the Earth, which wasn’t exactly far from home when people had already begun to venture out into the solar system. Still, Yuuri was more of a homebody. It was hard to be an explorer with such a strong self-preservation instinct. So he got as close as he could to his dream, while also staying tethered to the place where he belonged. 

He was analyzing the latest data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope when it happened. 

_Internal atmosphere breach on Deck 23B. Orbital shell has been penetrated. All personnel, please evacuate immediately. Deck 23B will be sealed off in T- 3 minutes._

“Oh, what the–“ 

Well, this day was shaping up to be fucking terrifying. 

“Come on, save the data, damn it,” Yuuri hissed, slamming the buttons on his keyboard. His computer had suddenly gone perilously slow. 

And he thought he could have avoided a panic attack today. 

Yuuri glanced to the door and the space suit beside it. He always kept one in his workroom, in case something like this happened. He could put it on now and pressurize it, while waiting for his data to save– 

–

Viktor glanced back at the gaping hole he’d left in the shell of the orbital ring. He was already starting to regret this visit. Still, he brushed the flaming sparks off himself and stood up, assuming the appearance of a carbon-based form. He was tall and lean, with long, silver hair tied back in a loose ponytail. And for the moment, he was invisible. Viktor hadn’t made himself detectable to the beings that lived here yet. Around him, people were scrambling to leave the area; he observed them, making tiny adjustments to his appearance until he looked suitably human. 

Viktor made his way through a set of sliding doors when the lights suddenly went off in the corridor. He realized that he was the only one around. Well it wouldn’t hurt to take a look, then, would it? If the place turned out to be dangerous, Viktor could always make a quick exit, the same way he came. He pushed open the doors, stepping inside curiously. 

“…Hello? Anyone here?” 

It was quiet. Viktor felt himself floating; now the gravity had been shut off, too. All around him, Viktor saw motes of dust suspended in the thin air. He kept walking– 

–Until he saw something that set him alight. 

–

Soon enough, Yuuri had his suit on and prepared to leave the room. He thought he would still have a minute or so to evacuate, but getting into the suit took more time than expected. He was surprised to see a group of astronauts hovering in zero-G, making their way down the hall. Oh, shit. It was Engineering. He’d been too late. 

Chief Engineer Cialdini had to do a double take when he noticed Yuuri. 

“Katsuki? What are you still doing here?” He demanded. “All staff in this area was told to leave!” 

“I- I–“ 

Behind Cialdini, Yuuri’s friend Phichit, a lieutenant engineer, was laughing. 

“Yuuri, were you working through the alert?” Even through the static of the suit, he sounded fond. 

“Never mind that; just stay by the door while we look this over, and then we can get you inside,” Celestino murmured. “I- what is that light?” 

Phichit whirled around. Yuuri slowly followed suit, before going completely still. 

Something had appeared in the corridor– no, _someone_. At first he thought it was another straggler, like him, but then Yuuri saw that the person didn’t have a space suit on. No human could breathe in such thin air. Yuuri met the being’s eyes, and all of a sudden, the stranger’s body began to shine brilliantly. 

“An alien,” Phichit whispered. 

“Lieutenant, stop talking.” 

“Celestino, this could be first contact we’re talking about here–“ 

But it was Yuuri who stepped forward, reaching out a hand. He was the one who felt that inestimable pull, as though he were looking into the light of a star.


	3. Stargazing (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Viktor start to understand one another, both literally and figuratively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this idea got away from me a little bit... Here is Part 2 of shooting star! Viktor's adventures with Yuuri, his new human companion. The story starts in the previous chapter!

The last thing Yuuri remembered when he woke up in the medical ward was a blinding flash of light. He sat up hurriedly, but the force of his movements made him dizzy, and he slumped back against his hospital bed with a sigh. Then he realized there was an IV drip connected to his arm, and he’d nearly pulled it out. Yuuri sighed, trying to relax. He hoped nothing was wrong with him, but he resolved to wait until Doctor Babicheva got back before he started freaking out. 

Then his eyes fell on the glass wall that separated his room from the next, which was more brightly lit. He gasped softly when he saw that the bed was occupied. The being he’d encountered on Deck 23-B was sitting up in bed, watching the monitor that registered its vital signs. Yuuri narrowed his eyes to get a better look; his vision was still a little hazy. At first glance, the being looked like a man – _a handsome man_ , Yuuri thought stupidly. There were small differences; his eyes were slightly bigger and wider than a human’s, and he was glowing. _Like a star_. 

As if on cue, the being turned his head toward Yuuri and smiled. 

“Ah– hello,” Yuuri mumbled, his face reddening. 

“Hello.” 

“You speak English!” 

“…Some.” 

It looked like he wanted to say something else, but couldn’t find the words. After a moment, Yuuri pointed to himself. 

“I,” he said, then gestured to the other. “You. I am Yuuri. You are…” 

The man’s eyes brightened in understanding. 

“Viktor.” 

“You’re Russian?” Asked Yuuri. 

“Russian?” 

“Um– it’s a nationality. It’s… Oh, man. On Earth, my planet, there are different countries. Nations. My nation is Japan, so I’m Japanese. A person from Russia is called Russian. And – y-you’re not understanding any of this, are you?” 

Viktor smiled politely. “You…” He made a wild gesture with his hands. 

“I talk a lot.” Yuuri hung his head. 

“Yes,” he said, grinning. “Talk more. I will… Talk too.” 

Yuuri furrowed his brow, but looked thoughtful. 

“You’re saying that if I talk to you, then you’ll learn how to speak on your own.” 

Viktor pointed to himself, then to Yuuri. “Yes. I understand you.” 

–

Yuuri spent the next week in quarantine, with Doctor Babicheva checking him for radiation poisoning. When the doctor was comfortable enough to let him and Viktor out of bed, they would sit on the floor, facing each other, and use the glass to communicate. Yuuri used a dry-erase marker to draw objects alongside the words that signified them, or write simple sentences for Viktor to practice. But he learned far more quickly than any adult human could have done. By the end of the week, Viktor was speaking fluent English, and Yuuri was convinced that he was either some kind of genetically augmented Russian or an alien. 

On the eighth morning, Doctor Babicheva finally walked in and handed Yuuri a printout of his medical results. 

“Results are in. You’re free to go, Mr. Katsuki.” 

“Thank you. And the…” He trailed off, not knowing what to call Viktor in front of her. Yuuri had gotten used to thinking of him as “the star.” 

Babicheva sighed. 

“Well, his test results are normal. He was glowing the first day he got here; I’m sure you saw… But that’s slowly gone away over the past week. Vital signs are normal. His organs are functioning properly, and there’s no sign of irregular brain function.” 

“Meaning…?” 

“For all intents and purposes, he’s a healthy human being.” Yuuri’s eyes widened. 

“What? That isn’t possible. Doctor, I saw him in a zero-G vacuum without a helmet on. No human could survive that for more than fifteen seconds!” 

She smiled patiently. “I’m aware, Mr. Katsuki.” 

“He wasn’t floating, either. Which means his body mass has to be– ah…” 

“There were some unusual body mass readings the first day, but we figured it was a problem with the scale.” 

Doctor Babicheva glanced at Viktor, who was perusing an English dictionary Yuuri had asked for a few days ago. She couldn’t tell if he was reading it or not, but Yuuri knew he’d already memorized half the words. 

“What about the fact that he learned English in a week?” 

“Amnesia. The shock of being without oxygen for so long must have damaged his memory retrieval pathways. We’ll continue to monitor him and bring him in every few days for a check-up, okay? Linguistics will spend some time with him, too. In the meantime, Captain Feltsman has agreed to let him stay with you while he recovers from what must have been a very traumatic experience.” 

Yuuri narrowed his eyes, thinking. The Captain couldn’t possibly believe that this man was a Russian laboratory experiment. He isn’t a man at all, Yuuri thought. Which meant that Feltsman was giving the privilege of first contact to Yuuri and the linguists. 

“I’ll let you know if anything unusual happens.” 

He waited outside in the hallway while Babicheva spoke to Viktor. When the man turned to leave, Yuuri caught a glimpse of the look on her face, caught between alarm and fascination. Viktor hurried to catch up with Yuuri, as though he were afraid of getting left behind. As the door closed behind them, it dawned on Yuuri that they were, for the first time, alone. 

“N-nice to see you without the glass dividing us,” he chuckled. 

Viktor nodded, his hair falling along one shoulder in a silver cascade. 

“The doctor said that I will be living with you now. Is that okay?” 

Viktor reached for his hand, and Yuuri felt his throat go dry. Though they’d spent the past week in each other’s company, they had always been on opposite sides of the wall. In lieu of actual touches, they’d pressed their hands to the glass, palms meeting in reassurance. Contact – but not quite. There, but not yet there. 

Now Viktor’s fingertips brushed against his, and Yuuri thought he felt a spark pass between them. 

“Yes, it’s okay.” 

–

They walked back to Yuuri’s room on Deck 30-A in silence. Upon arriving, Yuuri carefully removed his hand from Viktor’s, fumbling in his pocket for his key card. He tapped it against the sensor, and the doors swept open. 

“This is me,” he mumbled. 

It was an unassuming room, standard personnel quarters. As a researcher, Yuuri wasn’t part of the military organization onboard the orbital ring. But as far as rooms went, human resources didn’t discriminate. Department chiefs and senior officers were a bit better off, but for the most part, each staff member got one bed, a wardrobe with drawers, a desk and chair, a restroom, and a window with a view. Depending on the time of day, Yuuri could look out his window and see the Japanese archipelago through the cloudy atmosphere. Home. 

“That’s your planet,” Viktor observed. “Earth.” 

Yuuri had begun to strip the bed down to the mattress, pulling off the comforter and arranging it on the floor. He looked over his shoulder and smiled. 

“It’s beautiful, right? We can go to the observation deck later. It’s got an even better view.” 

“What are you doing?” The star asked curiously, crouching down beside Yuuri. He had gotten an extra sheet and blanket for the comforter and was carefully smoothing out the wrinkles. 

“Oh. Well, you can take the bed, as long as you’re living here. I’m making a place for myself to sleep.” 

“But this is your room,” Viktor said, puzzled. “I will sleep on this – what is it called?” 

“A comforter. It’s a soft mattress. But really, Viktor–“ 

“Or we can share the bed,” he suggested, and Yuuri’s cheeks started to burn. 

“N-no, it’s too small.” 

The star leaned in, just enough for Yuuri to feel the heat of his presence. 

“Then I’ll sleep down here,” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Or will he?!
> 
> Lol, we'll just have to wait and see. :P Hope you're enjoying the story!


	4. Stargazing (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit teases Yuuri about Viktor, Chris teases both of them, and Yuuri finds that he still has difficulty putting some emotions into words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading <3 And for bearing with the wait! I finished two big assignments recently. Only a few more to go.

Over the next few days, Yuuri helped Viktor develop a daily routine. In the morning, at 0600 hours, they woke up and got ready for alpha shift. At first, Yuuri had to teach Viktor everything – how to use a toothbrush, turn on the shower, flush the toilet. Thankfully, Viktor was a fast learner. Yuuri’s favorite part of the morning was braiding the star’s hair into a long ponytail, which he then pinned up in a bun. It was something he used to do for his older sister Mari when they were children, back in Japan. Yuuri hadn’t been home for over six months. 

At 0700, he and Viktor went to breakfast. While Yuuri worked, Viktor spent time with the linguists. They gave him a computer program to help him learn Russian, which he picked up as quickly as he’d learned English. Chris Giacometti, the deputy chief of linguistics, told Yuuri that Viktor’s computational abilities far exceeded an ordinary human’s. _He can learn languages more quickly than children do,_ Chris had said. _His brain must operate using more efficient algorithms than ours, and his memory capacity must be much greater._ Within a few weeks, Viktor was teaching his roommate how to speak Russian; the first word Yuuri learned was _zvezda_ , “star.” 

On the days when the linguists didn’t keep Viktor, he and Yuuri had lunch together at 1230. Otherwise, they met for dinner at 1800, and were in bed by 2200. 

And if Yuuri’s gaze lingered on the star’s sleeping form when they were both tucked into bed, it was mostly because he could not believe it. He’d spent his life chasing stars, and now one had fallen into his backyard. 24 hours was not enough time in a day to understand Viktor, and Yuuri wanted to. Reaching out to touch his shoulder in the morning and see his smile as he woke, Yuuri desperately wanted to understand. 

\- 

“Isn’t it a little sudden for you to be living with Ziggy Stardust?” 

Yuuri and Phichit Chulanont were sitting in the mess hall, eating a quick lunch between alpha and beta shift. At the mention of his new roommate, Yuuri gulped down the piece of chicken he’d barely chewed and tried to speak without coughing. 

“It’s not an insult,” Phichit added, sparing Yuuri the embarrassment. “David Bowie was cool. I’m just saying, you’re lucky you only had to go through quarantine for a week. He was glowing like someone dipped him in a vat of radioactive goo.” 

Yuuri wrinkled his nose, then drank a sip of water. 

“I don’t think there’s anything dangerous about him.” 

“Besides the fact that he blew a hole in the orbital ring?” 

“He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone!” Phichit, who prided himself on being both the more rational and more excitable of the two friends, stuck his tongue out at Yuuri. 

“You’re only defending him because you think he’s hot. Celestino says he’s probably some kind of super soldier, like Bucky Barnes.” 

“Bucky Barnes isn’t real,” Yuuri said with a sigh. “And even if he were, he couldn’t walk across the floor in zero-G.” 

“So Ziggy _is_ an alien,” Phichit marveled. “But how does that explain the fact that his medical readings are human?” 

“Ask Doctor Babicheva–“ 

“The prettiest person in the galaxy?” Phichit cut in. “Don’t worry; your spaceman can still be the most handsome alien.” 

Against his better judgment, Yuuri started to laugh. He hid a snort, hands clasped over his mouth. 

“You’re ridiculous, Phichit.” 

“Uh-huh.” Yuuri’s friend ate his last bite and stood up to clear his plate. “I’ve got to get back to work.” 

“Right, those engineering panels won’t fix themselves without Lieutenant Chulanont.” 

“But don’t think I didn’t notice that you avoided my comment about how attractive Ziggy is.” 

“You’re very perceptive,” Yuuri observed. His eyes drifted toward the clock above the hot meal aisle. “Speaking of Viktor, I should stop by the linguistics department to pick him up. See you later.” 

Phichit grinned and gave a playful salute. 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Stargazer.” 

-

The linguistics department was on deck 10–B, about a dozen floors up from stellar cartography. Ever since the incident that was Viktor’s crash-landing, deck 23-B had been sealed off for repairs. Engineering had fixed the hole in the orbital shell, but they were still testing the internal atmospheric controls. Because of radiation, no one was allowed inside without a space suit – and authorization. At Yuuri’s request, Phichit had checked up on his friend’s office and reported that everything looked normal. In the meantime, Yuuri and the other cartographers worked out of the climate monitoring department, which tracked the Earth’s weather patterns and analyzed the effect of solar flares on the planet. It was a huge operation, occupying all of deck 1-A. 

After a day of being there, Yuuri understood why Climate Monitoring was nicknamed the “Crisis Monster” by other departments. Something was always happening, and it was never anything good. The smallest spike in temperature readings sent people scurrying around with feverish looks on their faces. One staffer would rant about disaster movies; another would triple-check the data to make sure they weren’t imagining things. But the issue never lasted for long, and Yuuri knew this because after a few minutes, Chief Climatologist Emil Nekola would switch on the intercom in his office and yell, “Crisis averted!” to rapturous applause. 

Emil gave Yuuri and his team plenty of space to work, but they still felt crowded. Yuuri wasn’t accustomed to working in such a busy atmosphere. Still, he supposed it made sense. Between the Earth and its closest star, Climate Monitoring paid attention to many urgent matters. Most of Yuuri’s own work involved looking at stars that were light-years away. 

Besides, of course, the one that was very close. 

As the elevator doors opened onto deck 10-B, Yuuri felt his heart rate pick up. The knowledge that he was going to see Viktor made him feel lighter, and he walked with a bounce in his step. Phichit would have laughed if he could see Yuuri now. Since when did Viktor have this effect on him? _Oh, right. Since the moment we met,_ Yuuri thought. 

He walked into the linguistics department to find Viktor sitting in the main conference room, typing on a laptop. His eyes looked brighter than usual, from the light of the screen. 

“Hi, Viktor.” 

“Yuuri!” He exclaimed. “ _Kibun wa dō desu ka?_ ” 

“ _Daijōbu–_ “ 

Viktor grinned, waiting for the ball to drop. (He’d learned that saying yesterday and had used it in conversation at least four times since then.) 

“D-did you just speak Japanese?” 

“Yes!” 

Yuuri clasped a hand over his mouth. They started walking toward each other, something tentative in both their steps. 

“That’s incredible! But… Why?” He was embarrassed to ask the question; after English and Russian, Japanese was the third most-spoken language on the Orbital Ring, and Viktor knew that. Yuuri just selfishly hoped for a different answer. 

“So we can talk in your language.” 

Viktor paused for Yuuri’s reaction, and he got it. Yuuri flung his arms around Viktor, almost knocking him over with the force of the hug. 

Slowly, the star took his waist. 

“This is… Good?” 

Yuuri understood what he meant; Viktor was asking if a hug was a positive gesture. 

“Yes, very good,” he mumbled. Yuuri was _not_ going to cry over this. He was not going to look like an idiot in the middle of the linguistics department, with his face hidden against Viktor’s shoulder. “T-thank you.” 

The star only laughed and squeezed Yuuri more tightly. 

“There you are!” A familiar voice called. It was Chris, head of the linguistics department. “Yuuri, I was wondering when you would show up. This one has already started learning your language.” 

Yuuri yelped and pulled away from Viktor, who seemed unfazed. 

“Y-yes, I know…” 

Chris leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a mischievous look on his face. 

“What’s happening here, lovebirds?” 

“Nothing!” 

“Bird?” Viktor pointed to himself. “Oh! It’s a saying!” 

“Actually, it’s called a metaphor–“ 

“I’ll explain later,” Yuuri whispered. He grabbed Viktor’s hand. Chris made an amused _ooh_ -ing noise, to which Yuuri just rolled his eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Come on, Viktor. Bye, Chris.” 

“ _Au revoir_ , Chris!” 

The Chief Linguist chuckled and waved. 

As soon as he was out in the hallway again, Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god,” he mumbled. “So is Chris teaching you French now?” 

“No, he thought it would be too many languages at once. I can only say hello and goodbye.” 

“Mm.” 

Viktor glanced at him in puzzlement. He still held Yuuri’s hand, swinging it lightly back and forth. 

“What’s wrong? You don’t like Chris?” 

“Huh?” Yuuri stirred back to attention. He started walking back toward the elevator, looking less frazzled. “I like him fine. It’s more that…” Yuuri thought of how to explain. He lifted Viktor’s hand, holding it in both his own. “At home, we don’t– do this in public. Hold hands, or hug.” 

“At home in Japan?” 

“Yes.” 

“You don’t like to?” 

Yuuri worried his lip. Of course he did. Just not with other people around, reading his deepest displays of affection like they were something commonplace. He gestured to the empty corridor around them, then squeezed Viktor’s hand. 

“Right now – it’s okay. Because it’s just you and me.” 

Viktor blinked. His mouth opened in a silent ah, and he smiled gently. 

“It’s the people. You don’t want them to see.” 

“Yes,” Yuuri laughed, nodding. “But not because of you,” he hastened to add. “Because it’s for you. Holding someone’s hand is a personal gesture, a special thing.” 

Viktor’s eyes, enormous and blue, were fixed on him, and Yuuri had the strange feeling that this man was, all at once, real and not real. 

“For me.” 

“Of course.” 

“Okay. When I hold you, it’s for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Yuuri and Viktor visit the arboretum, and Yuuri learns more about who Viktor is.

**Author's Note:**

> YOI Space Week has the most beautifully written [prompts](https://yoistargazers.tumblr.com/schedule) ever. They're frickin' majestic. Go check them out <3  
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Tumblr: [tolstoyevskywrites](http://tolstoyevskywrites.tumblr.com)  
> Spotify playlists: [Otayuri](https://open.spotify.com/user/tolstoyevsky/playlist/5i3uGBrwu9gfB9ynaOjiay) || Viktuuri: [1](https://open.spotify.com/user/tolstoyevsky/playlist/7dtTAAISDjCfEjYoOV8IiU), [2](https://open.spotify.com/user/tolstoyevsky/playlist/36xh2sv4YN7hdNWaAgDksu?si=eS1Qh7EMQCCxmXquXaP9MA)  
> 8tracks playlists (different from the Spotify ones): [here](http://8tracks.com/airini/collections/yuri-on-ice-playlists)  
> My other YOI fics: [Laurel](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8871910) (& [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/tolstoyevsky/playlist/71bLXqW2SxY9ETaY5sIxCS)) || [The Adventures of Russian Tiger Yuri Plisetsky and His Lovestruck Not-Coach](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8790199/chapters/20151052) || [Otayuri Oneshots](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9341738/chapters/21166439) || [Breathe Easy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8851813)


End file.
